ok bros need advice and info

[max-rot98]

I moved out, into my own apartment months ago. I love dogs but that is not an option. I also really like snakes (this is allowed) and was thinking of getting a ball python. I am kind of curious if you have had one, how easy was it to take care of. From what I understand you need to clean its cage once a week. You feed it mice or rats depending on how big it is, once every five days. From what I understand they can get up to 6' long and pretty thick, thats a pretty big animal.

Did you get one that was born domestic or in the wild. I have read you should definatley buy one that was born domestic as it greatly decreases risk of parasites etc.

If you have had any kind of snake for a pet do you have any advice? Seems pretty easy to take care of for a single guy, but just want to make sure. At 6' that requires a pretty big tank to hold, no? With about 20,000 members somebody has had to own one. I only know one person that has owned a ball python, and haven't seen that person since I was young. The only other person I know that has a snake has a little 2 foot snake that is has much less to deal with than a python(for example with theirs you can put in live mice, no need to kill it as with a python).

I also have questions on feeding and others but will save the typing until I get somebody that has advice to begin with.

 

[revodrew]

I had a ball python for years as well as other snakes. I had a 14 foot albino burmese, that was the king right there. Two large rats a week. Powerfeeding. Anyways, a ball is a great snake to start out with. They are very timid and will most likely never ever bite you or another person just as long as you keep a method to the feeding. I used to put my ball and burmese in the bathtub to feed them, that way everytime I opened the cage they didnt think it was feeding time. Most balls dont reach 6 ft in length, maybe 5 if you have a big one but they do get thick. They are strong but very docile and a domestic raised is better then wild. And, I dont know who told you that you need to kill it before feeding it to him. You just have to watch that the snake eats it in less then 5 mins or so cause if not then the mouse will get all ballsy and try to scratch at his/hers eyes. You do not need to have frozen mice or whatever, thats a bucnh of bullshit. Just watch and be carefull.

 

[max-rot98]

ok I was told if you feed it rats live the will fight back. I read you should kill the rat right before feeding. That way it is still warm. Then you drag it by the tail with a pair of tongs until the snake takes it. But I will take your word for it. I also read that sometimes it won't want to eat and it needs to be forced. How the F do you do that?

Is it easy finding domestic born pythons? Haven't looked yet. Did some research but couldn't find answers to all my questions.

Thanks for the bath tub tip. Makes alot of sense. How long after it eats can it still be handled or at least moved to its cage.

I also read that the temp should be different at night than day. This sounds very unnecessary to me.

Any other advice would be much appreciated. Thanks drew.

 

[revodrew]

As for the feeding, dont force feed. Snakes eat when they are ready. The only time I would really worry about it, is if he goes longer then 4 weeks or so. Even then, it is not a huge deal. Mine would go for 2 months sometimes. After he is done eating just let him rest a little, you dont want to handle to much right away because if a snake throws up, there is some big trouble cause they will actually vomit there stomach up.

Now for the temp~ First off dont get a heat rock but instead a heat pad that goes on the outside and underneath the tank. This will keep the snake from burning itself. Also get a heat light. I used that during the day and then the pad at all times.

 

[max-rot98]

Ok, thanks drew. Damn two months!
I really think I am gonna get one. Going to do some more research and I know who I'm coming to for more answers when questions come up. Hopefully I'll be able to get it in a couple of weeks.

How big of a tank did you have for yours drew?

 

[revodrew]

It is farely commen for people to say that the snake will only grow to his enviroment. That is true with dogs also. If you want to have the snake reach his full potential, then I would get atleast a 25 gallon or so. They are called ball pythons for a reason, it will be balled up most of the time. Therefore nothing huge is really needed. IF you plan on taking it out alot, then you really dont need to go extravagent. I took mine out atleast once a day. My burmese was out all night, just had to keep bedroom door locked or else the cats would have dissapeared. Mom would have been pissed about that one. The more you handle it when it is young, the better off you will be. When feeding make sure to wear a glove, especially when it is shedding, sometimes they will snap at the mouse and miss casue the dead skin affects there vision. You will enjoy it. I am trying to talk the wife into letting me get a columbian red tail but no luck as of yet.

 

[max-rot98]

Man you got me all excited about this. I probably will get a 25 gallon tank than. I do want it to reach its potential. I'm sure it will be handled every day, by myself, and my girlfriend. She is kind of excited too. She just doesn't want to see it eat, I can't figure out why though:think:

 

[revodrew]

Eating is the best part!:numbered:

 

[max-rot98]

I'm sure it is. Man I just found one python called leucistic. It is snow white with black eyes and red pupils, $200,000.00 Holy ****! I'm sticking with the $60 female. How long did yours live? One site said 20-30 years. Man thats a big commitment

 

[LCSULLA]

I'm sure it is. Man I just found one python called leucistic. It is snow white with black eyes and red pupils, $200,000.00 Holy ****! I'm sticking with the $60 female. How long did yours live? One site said 20-30 years. Man thats a big commitment

Thats like a marriage! I used to catch snakes when I was a kid. We'd go out into the woods and look for rat snakes and any other that didn't have dimonds on them.

 

[max-rot98]

here is a pic

 

[revodrew]

I'm sure it is. Man I just found one python called leucistic. It is snow white with black eyes and red pupils, $200,000.00 Holy ****! I'm sticking with the $60 female. How long did yours live? One site said 20-30 years. Man thats a big commitment

The ball is still alive. I gave him to the my high school when I left for the military. The science teacher had a butt load of his own and I knew he would take good care of him.

The albino burmese, I had to kill him. He was about 14 feet and got mites. I gave him the bath solution treatment time after time and it did nothing. The vet that could treat him wanted almost a 1000$ for a non-gaurenteed treatment and he had never treated a snake with mites that bad before. He was pretty much saying it could be 50% either way and that in the meantime he was in alot of pain. Eventually the mites got into his eyes and he decided to snap at me and a 14 footer gets ahold of you and you are home alone, you are ass the hell out in that situation. Me and my wife killed him, I regret it now but I was young and stupid and saw that as the humane way to take care of it.

I also had a nile monitor, (kamoto(sp) dragon relative), that was a bad mother fucker. He would bite anything, 100 times and didnt give a ****. I used to have to hold him under water to get him to let go of my hand. Almost everyday. Once he got to about 3 foot body length not including tail, it was time to go.

My friend gave his burmese to the zoo, it was like 16 foot and heavy as hell. Snakes are fun, and a ball is a great choice cause it will never out grow his welcome.

Good luck, any more questions, just post em. I'll check back often. And when you get her, I want pics.

Drew

 

[refrieddreams]

Red tail boas are awesome IMO.

I always fed him somewehere else beside his cage. I always heard that he may tend to snap at ya when you reach in thinking your hand was food.

I also had an iguana, a ball python, and a tortioise...

 

[revodrew]

Red tail boas are awesome IMO.

I always fed him somewehere else beside his cage. I always heard that he may tend to snap at ya when you reach in thinking your hand was food.

I also had an iguana, a ball python, and a tortioise...

I had an iguana, and tortioises to, If I tried to remember all the reptiles, my head would pop. They are the best pets around.

 

[refrieddreams]

What kind of tortoise? I had a sulcata...those dude get to be so big...very cool pets. I had built a gym in my garage it was pimp 20 x 20 fully equiped. He would just cruise around there all day. He one time crawled under me whil in the middle of a heavy squat set...its funny now but at the time it sucked.

 

[refrieddreams]

you can see my gym/squat rack an my avvy.

My gym was John Deer green baby...yeeehaaa